Although empirical interest in meditation has flourished in recent years, few studies have addressed possible downsides of meditation practice, particularly in community populations. In-depth interviews were conducted with 30 male meditators in London, UK, recruited using principles of maximum variation sampling, and analysed using a modified constant comparison approach. Having originally set out simply to inquire about the impact of various meditation practices (including but not limited to mindfulness) on men’s wellbeing, we uncovered psychological challenges associated with its practice. While meditation was generally reported to be conducive to wellbeing, substantial difficulties accounted for approximately one quarter of the interview data. Our paper focuses specifically on these issues in order to alert health professionals to potential challenges associated with meditation. Four main problems of increasing severity were uncovered: Meditation was a difficult skill to learn and practise; participants encountered troubling thoughts and feelings which were hard to manage; meditation reportedly exacerbated mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety; and in a few cases, meditation was associated with psychotic episodes. Our paper raises important issues around safeguarding those who practise meditation, both within therapeutic settings and in the community.

Lomas, T., Medina, Juan Carlos, Ivtzan, I., Rupprecht, Silke, Hart, R. and Eiroa-Orosa, Francisco José 2017. The impact of mindfulness on well-being and performance in the workplace: an inclusive systematic review of the empirical literature. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology.

Kennett, Pam and Lomas, T. 2015. Making meaning through mentoring: Mentors finding fulfilment at work through self-determination and self-reflection. International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring. 13 (2), pp. 29-44.

Lomas, T., Cartwright, Tina, Edginton, Trudi and Ridge, Damien 2014. A religion of wellbeing? The appeal of Buddhism to men in London, United Kingdom. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality. 6 (3), pp. 198-207.

Lomas, T., Cartwright, Tina, Edginton, Trudi and Ridge, Damian 2013. 'I was so done in that I just recognized it very plainly, "You need to do something"': Men's narratives of struggle, distress and turning to meditation. Health: An Interdisciplinary Journal for the Social Study of Health, Illness and Medicine. 17 (2), pp. 191-208.